Showdown in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #3)(48)

“What the hell!” Zach stepped in between Maryse and Raissa and leaned forward until his face was only inches from the monitor. “What is that?” He looked from Raissa to Maryse, neither of whom were speaking. “You both know something, and I want you to tell me what it is right now.”

Raissa considered what it must look like from Zach’s point of view and understood his disbelief. After all, floating garage articles chasing an intruder down an alleyway wasn’t something you saw all that often.

Maryse gave the monitor one last panicked look. “I better head downstairs. I mean, there’s no chance he’s coming back to the hotel, right?”

“I seriously doubt it,” Raissa said. “Go intercept.”

Maryse nodded and hurried out of the room. Raissa watched the monitor until she saw Maryse open the back door and poke her head out. Helena appeared a couple of seconds later and slipped into the hotel with Maryse, dropping the crowbar and trashcan lid next to the back door. Raissa let out a sigh of relief that the excitement for the night hadn’t involved injury or death.

“I want an answer,” Zach demanded, “and I’m not leaving here until I get one.”

“An answer to what?” Raissa tried on her best innocent look. “He was obviously looking for my car or maybe Maryse’s and something spooked him, so he ran.”

Zach’s face flushed with anger. “You know damned good and well what spooked him. The man was being chased by a crowbar—a crowbar without a human being attached. Damn right he was spooked. I’m spooked, and I’m three stories up in a hotel room. It’s like a B horror movie. What the hell is going on, Raissa? I know you and Maryse are keeping something from me. That whole picture-taking story never added up.”

Raissa sighed and sank into one of the folding chairs in front of the monitors. “How open-minded are you?”

“In what way? Religion? Politics? Equal rights for cats?”

“To…um…paranormal things.”

“You’re telling me your friend, this Helena, can make herself invisible? I’m not buying it.”

“No, she doesn’t make herself that way. Man, this is hard. The paranormal realm has so many avenues that we really don’t know that much about. I’m learning every day, and it’s been my business for over eight years.”

Zach stared at her, clearly uncertain of what to say. “You told me you hacked information to convince your psychic reading clients you were the real thing.”

Raissa nodded. “And that’s true, but…uh…that part where I told you I talked to dead people…Well, it’s actually only one dead person, and I didn’t ask to talk to her, but she’s there anyway.”

There was complete silence in the room. Raissa was sure neither of them was breathing. Zach stared at her with a mixture of horror, confusion, and a touch of fear. His expression clearly said he’d not only bought into the ravings of a madwoman, he’d slept with her, too. He was probably mentally processing his severance pay as he stared.

“I know,” Raissa said, “it’s a lot to buy—”

“It’s impossible to buy. I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but you’re not going to play it with me.” He shoved his wallet and keys into his pants pocket and turned to leave the room, but before he could walk out, Maryse stepped in.

“I thought there might be a problem with, well, you know,” Maryse said, “so I came back to help.”

“Oh, there’s a problem all right,” Zach said. “You two are crazy. And from now on, you’re on your own.”

Maryse shook her head. “We’re probably crazy, but not in the way you think.” Maryse looked to Zach’s side and nodded. “Show him, Helena.”

Zach looked to his right as Raissa’s lipstick rose from the dresser.





Chapter Thirteen


Zach stared in amazement as the cap came off the lipstick and the dial on the bottom spun round, pushing a glossy burgundy color out the end of the container. The lipstick connected with the mirror and swirled out sprawling lettering.

Sorry I missed the show earlier when Maryse walked in on you two.

Zach was certain he hadn’t blinked since the lipstick left the dresser, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t breathing, either. “Who are you?” he asked.

Helena Henry.

Zach’s mind raced. That name was familiar. He whirled to face Maryse. “Your mother-in-law?”

“Ex-mother-in-law, but yes.”

Zach slumped into a chair, completely overwhelmed and exhausted from the day. Of all the things in the world he had seen, this was by far the most outlandish. Never in his life would he have believed it was possible. Hell, he still didn’t believe it was possible, and he was looking straight at it. “I don’t understand.”

Maryse snorted. “You think you don’t understand. I’ve been able to see Helena since the day of her funeral. The woman I hated the most in the world, and I was the only one who could see or hear her for a long time.” Maryse sighed and looked over at the mirror. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Helena. You know I don’t hate you anymore. I’m just giving him the four-one-one.”

I don’t wear panties. The words appeared on the mirror.